Syangja District ( ne, स्याङ्जा जिल्ला; ), a part of

Gandaki Province Gandaki Province ( ne, गण्डकी प्रदेश ) ), is one of the seven federal provinces established by the current constitution of Nepal which was promulgated on 20 September 2015. Pokhara is the province's capital city. It borde ...

, is one of the seventy-seven

districts of Nepal Districts in Nepal are second level of administrative divisions after provinces. Districts are subdivided in municipalities and rural municipalities. There are seven provinces and 77 districts in Nepal. After the state's reconstruction of admi ...

. The district, with Syangja bazaar (a small town) as its district headquarters, covers an area of and had a population of 289,148 It lies in the hilly region at an altitude ranging from about 300 meters along the banks of Kaligandaki river up to a couple of thousands meters above the sea level. It lies at about latitude 28°4'60 North and longitude 83°52'0 East. The district now has five municipalities Waling, Putalibazar, Chapakot, Bhirkot and Galyang and six rural municipalities

Aandhikhola Aandhikhola ( ne, आँधिखोला) is a Gaupalika in Syangja District in the Gandaki Province of central Nepal. On 12 March 2017, the government of Nepal implemented a new local administrative structure consisting of 744 local units. With ...

Arjun Chaupari Arjun Chaupari ( ne, अर्जुनचौपारी) is a rural municipality in Syangja District in Gandaki Province, central Nepal. On 12 March 2017, the government of Nepal implemented a new local administrative structure consisting of 74 ...

, Biruwa, Phedikhola, Harinas and Kaligandaki Syangja in 1994 under the auspices of the South Asia Poverty Alleviation Program (SAPAP) of the

UNDP The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)french: Programme des Nations unies pour le développement, PNUD is a United Nations agency tasked with helping countries eliminate poverty and achieve sustainable economic growth and human dev ...

, received million of dollars of international investment and has become a model for national development. Syangja's model has proved so successful that the Government of Nepal joined forces with the SAPAP to extend the project to other districts and make it a model for national development. It has been initiated or implemented in at least 200 Village Development Councils (VDC/s) of 45 districts of Nepal. People of many ethnicities live in this district. The major groups are Brahmin, Chetri, Gurung and Magar. Kali Gandaki A Hydropower is the largest hydropower plant of the nation located on the Kali Gandaki river in Kaligandaki Gaunpalika. It has the maximum plant capacity of 144 MW.

People and places

Many different ethnicity of people live in this district. The major groups consisting of

Brahmin Brahmin (; sa, ब्राह्मण, brāhmaṇa) is a varna as well as a caste within Hindu society. The Brahmins are designated as the priestly class as they serve as priests ( purohit, pandit, or pujari) and religious teachers ( ...

, kshetri,

Gurung Gurung (exonym; ) or Tamu (endonym; Gurung: ) are an ethnic group indigenous to the hills and mountains of Gandaki Province of Nepal. Gurung people predominantly live around the Annapurna region in Manang, Mustang, Dolpo, Kaski, Lamjung, Go ...

, Magar and others. Brahmin and Chhetri (Kshetriya) are renowned by their representation in the governmental jobs and Indian army respectively.

s and Magars are known for their involvement in British Army

Gurkhas The Gurkhas or Gorkhas (), with endonym Gorkhali ), are soldiers native to the Indian Subcontinent, chiefly residing within Nepal and some parts of Northeast India. The Gurkha units are composed of Nepalis and Indian Gorkhas and are r ...

and

Military of India The Indian Armed Forces are the military forces of the Republic of India. It consists of three professional uniformed services: the Indian Army, Indian Navy, and Indian Air Force.—— Additionally, the Indian Armed Forces are supported by th ...

. There is a popular saying that "when you go to Syangja and hit randomly a house with a stone that house surely belongs to Section-Officer". The headquarters of Syanga district lies at Syangja bazaar. Some places of historical interest in this district are Satahun Chandi, Manakamana, Bhirkot Durbar, Alamdevi, Gahraukalika, Nuwakot Durbar, Chhangchhangdi and Ridi Ruru Kshetra on the banks of Kaligandaki river. Chhangchhangdi (Chaya-kshetra) is mentioned in the Swasthani Vrata-Katha, considered to be a part of the

Skanda Purana The ''Skanda Purana'' (IAST: Skanda Purāṇa) is the largest '' Mukyapurana'', a genre of eighteen Hindu religious texts. The text contains over 81,000 verses, and is of Kaumara literature, titled after Skanda, a son of Shiva and Parvati, w ...

, as the place where the last organ of dead Satidevi fell when she was being carried by Lord Shiva. Among the three municipalities, Putalibazar municipality lies in the eastern side whereas Waling municipality in the western Syangja, the newly formed Chapakot municipality is on the east-south. Waling is a

longitudinal valley A longitudinal valley is an elongated valley found between two almost-parallel mountain chains in geologically young fold mountains, such as the Alps, Carpathians, Andes, or the highlands of Central Asia. They are often occupied and shaped by a ...

along the banks of the Aandhikhola river. According to one folk legend, Aandhikhola river is believed to be originated from the tears of Shravan of the

Ramayana The ''Rāmāyana'' (; sa, रामायणम्, ) is a Sanskrit epic composed over a period of nearly a millennium, with scholars' estimates for the earliest stage of the text ranging from the 8th to 4th centuries BCE, and later stages ...

. The largest valley in Syangja is Ramkosh. There are places to hike including Chandithaan which is Devi temple and Hunikot a viewpoint over Putalibazar.

Political division

Syangja district has 11 local units among them five are municipalities (Nagarpalika) and six rural municipalities (guanpalika) recently with the formulation of new constitution and provincial division of the country. #

Galyang Municipality Galyang ( ne, गल्याङ) is a Municipality in Syangja District in Gandaki Province, central Nepal. On 12 March 2017, the government of Nepal implemented the new local administrative structure consisting of 744 local units. With the impl ...

Chapakot Municipality Chapakot ( ne, चापाकोट) is a municipality in the southeastern part of Syangja District in Gandaki Province of central Nepal. The new municipality was formed by merging three existing villages—Ratnapur, Gandaki, Ratnapur, Kuwakot, G ...

# Putalibazar Municipality # Bheerkot Municipality # Waling Municipality # Arjun Chaupari Rural Municipality # Aandhikhola Rural Municipality # Kaligandaki Rural Municipality # Phedikhola Rural Municipality # Harinas Rural Municipality # Biruwa Rural Municipality

Former Village Development Committees and municipalities

* Alamdevi *

Aruchaur Aaruchaur is a former Village Development Committee in Syangja District Nepal. At the time of the 1991 Nepal census The 1991 Nepal census was a widespread national census conducted by the Nepal Central Bureau of Statistics. Working with Nepal ...

Arukharka Arukharka is a village development committee in Syangja District in the Gandaki Zone of central Nepal. At the time of the 2011 Nepal census Nepal conducted a widespread national census in 2011 by the Nepal Central Bureau of Statistics. Workin ...

* Bangephadke *

Bahakot Bahakot is a village development committee in Syangja District in the Gandaki Zone of central Nepal. At the time of the 2011 Nepal census Nepal conducted a widespread national census in 2011 by the Nepal Central Bureau of Statistics. Working w ...

* Banethok Deurali *

Bhatkhola Bhatkhola is a village development committee in Syangja District in the Gandaki Zone of central Nepal. At the time of the 2011 Nepal census Nepal conducted a widespread national census in 2011 by the Nepal Central Bureau of Statistics. Work ...

* Bhirkot Municipality * Bichari Chautara * Birgha Archale * Biruwa Archale * Chandi Bhanjyang *

* Chhangchhangdi * Chilaunebas * Chinnebas * Chisapani * Chitre Bhanjyang * Darsing Dahathum * Dhapuk Simal Bhanjyang * Iladi *

Jagat Bhanjyang Jagat Bhanjyang is a village development committee in Syangja District in the Gandaki Zone of central Nepal. At the time of the 2011 Nepal census Nepal conducted a widespread national census in 2011 by the Nepal Central Bureau of Statistics. ...

Jagatradevi Jagatradevi is a village development committee in Syangja District in the Gandaki Zone of central Nepal. At the time of the 2011 Nepal census Nepal conducted a widespread national census in 2011 by the Nepal Central Bureau of Statistics. Work ...

Kalikakot Kalikakot is a village development committee in Syangja District in the Gandaki Zone of central Nepal. At the time of the 2011 Nepal census Nepal conducted a widespread national census in 2011 by the Nepal Central Bureau of Statistics. Workin ...

Kolma Barahachaur Kolma Barahachaur is a village development committee in Syangja District in the Gandaki Zone of central Nepal. At the time of the 2011 Nepal census Nepal conducted a widespread national census in 2011 by the Nepal Central Bureau of Statistics. ...

* Keware Bhanjyang * Khilung Deurali * Kichnas *

Kyakami Kyakami is a village development committee in Syangja District in the Gandaki Zone of central Nepal. At the time of the 2011 Nepal census Nepal conducted a widespread national census in 2011 by the Nepal Central Bureau of Statistics. Working ...

* Majhakot Sivalaya * Malengkot *

Malunga Tunibot The ''malunga'' is a single-stringed musical bow played by the Siddi of India, who are the descendants of East African immigrants. It produces two tones, an octave apart, and the knuckle of the hand supporting the instrument may be pressed against ...

* Manakamana * Nibuwakharka * Oraste *

Pakbadi Pakwadi is a village development committee in Syangja District in the Gandaki Zone of central Nepal. At the time of the 2011 Nepal census Nepal conducted a widespread national census in 2011 by the Nepal Central Bureau of Statistics. Working ...

Panchamul Panchamul is a village development committee in Syangja District in the Gandaki Zone of central Nepal. At the time of the 2011 Nepal census Nepal conducted a widespread national census in 2011 by the Nepal Central Bureau of Statistics. Workin ...

* Pauwegaude * Pelakot *

Pelkachaur Pelkachaur is a village development committee in Syangja District in the Gandaki Zone of central Nepal. At the time of the 1991 Nepal census The 1991 Nepal census was a widespread national census conducted by the Nepal Central Bureau of Statis ...

* Phaparthum * Phedikhola * Pindikhola * Putalibazar Municipality *

Rangvang Rangvang is a village development committee in Syangja District in the Gandaki Zone of central Nepal. At the time of the 2011 Nepal census Nepal conducted a widespread national census in 2011 by the Nepal Central Bureau of Statistics. Working ...

Rapakot Rapakot is a village development committee in Syangja District in the Gandaki Zone of central Nepal. At the time of the 2011 Nepal census Nepal conducted a widespread national census in 2011 by the Nepal Central Bureau of Statistics. Workin ...

* Ratnapur * Sankhar * Daraun * Sirsekot Kaule * Sekham *

Setidobhan Setidobhan ( ne, सेतीदोभान ) is a village development committee in Syangja District in the Gandaki Zone of central Nepal. At the time of the 2011 Nepal census Nepal conducted a widespread national census in 2011 by the Nepal ...

Srikrishna Gandaki Srikrishna Gandaki is a village development committee in Syangja District in the Gandaki Zone of central Nepal. At the time of the 2011 Nepal census Nepal conducted a widespread national census in 2011 by the Nepal Central Bureau of Statistic ...

* Sirsekot * Sorek * Taksar *

Thuladihi Thuladihi is a village development committee in Syangja District in the Gandaki Zone of central Nepal. At the time of the 1991 Nepal census The 1991 Nepal census was a widespread national census conducted by the Nepal Central Bureau of Statist ...

Thumpokhara Thumpokhara is a village development committee in Syangja District in the Gandaki Zone of central Nepal. At the time of the 2011 Nepal census Nepal conducted a widespread national census in 2011 by the Nepal Central Bureau of Statistics. Work ...

* Tindobate * Tulsibhanjyang * Waling Municipality * Wangsing Deurali * Yaladi

Municipalities

* Waling Municipality (formed from former Dhanubase, Pekhu and Walling VDCs) * Putalibazar Municipality (formed from former Putalibazar, Satupasal, Chandikalika, Ganeshpur and Karendanda VDCs) *

(formed from former Chapakot, Kuwakot and Ratnapur VDCs) * Bhirkot Municipality (formed from former Bayarghari, Dahathum VDCs)

Road connection

Syangja was connected to

Pokhara Pokhara ( ne, पोखरा, ) is a metropolis, metropolitan city in Nepal, which serves as the capital of Gandaki Province. It is the List of cities in Nepal, second most populous city of Nepal after Kathmandu, with 518,452 inhabitants living ...

and

Bhairahawa Siddharthanagar ( ne, सिद्धार्थनगर), formerly and colloquially still called Bhairahawa ( ne, भैरहवा), is a municipality and the administrative headquarter of Rupandehi District in Lumbini Province of Nepal, ...

, two of the most prominent cities of Western Nepal, after the construction of the Siddhartha Highway. The highway enters this district in the North from Kubhinde and leaves in the South to Ramdi of

Palpa district Palpa District ( ne, पाल्पा जिल्ला, a part of Lumbini Province, is one of the seventy-seven districts of Nepal, a landlocked country of South Asia. The district, with Tansen as its headquarters, covers an area of and has ...

Hydroelectricity

The Kaligandaki A Hydroelectric Power Station built on the Kali Gandaki River is the largest hydroelectric project in Nepal, with an installed capacity of 144 MW. Besides the Kaligandaki A, Aadhikhola hydroelectric and some other, smaller, hydroelectric projects have been started in this district. Of all the districts in Nepal, Syangja is one of the few districts in the country that does not suffer from the problem of loadshedding, or scheduled electric outages, while the nation suffers hours of loadshedding each day.

Geography and climate

Demographics

At the time of the

2011 Nepal census Nepal conducted a widespread national census in 2011 by the Nepal Central Bureau of Statistics. Working with the 58 municipalities and the 3915 Village Development Committees at a district level, they recorded data from all the municipalities and ...

, Syangja District had a population of 289,148. The most populous group was Hill Brahmin which was 30.9% of the population. Other Khas castes include the Chhetri (11.5%),

Kami are the deities, divinities, spirits, phenomena or "holy powers", that are venerated in the Shinto religion. They can be elements of the landscape, forces of nature, or beings and the qualities that these beings express; they can also be the sp ...

(8.0%), Sarki (4.0%),

Damai Damai ( ne, दमाइँ) is an occupational caste found among Khas people. They comprise 45 subgroups. Their surnames take after the subgroup they belong to. People belonging to this caste are traditionally tailors and musicians. They are ade ...

(3.7%) and Thakuri (2.5%). The Janajatis in the district are 21.5% Magar, 9.0%

, 3.3%

Newar Newar (; new, नेवार, endonym: Newa; new, नेवा, Pracalit script:) or Nepami, are the historical inhabitants of the Kathmandu Valley and its surrounding areas in Nepal and the creators of its historic heritage and civilisat ...

and 2.4% Bhujel. 74.4% spoke

Nepali Nepali or Nepalese may refer to : Concerning Nepal * Anything of, from, or related to Nepal * Nepali people, citizens of Nepal * Nepali language, an Indo-Aryan language found in Nepal, the current official national language and a language spoken ...

, 15.1% Magar, 7.8%

and 1.7% Newari as their

first language A first language, native tongue, native language, mother tongue or L1 is the first language or dialect that a person has been exposed to from birth or within the critical period. In some countries, the term ''native language'' or ''mother to ...

. 23.4% of the population in the district spoke

and 0.6% Magar as their

second language A person's second language, or L2, is a language that is not the native language ( first language or L1) of the speaker, but is learned later. A second language may be a neighbouring language, another language of the speaker's home country, or a ...

.2011 Nepal Census, Social Characteristics Tables
/ref>

2015 Nepal earthquake

The district was affected by an earthquake on 25 April 2015. At least one house was destroyed.

References

External links

Nepal Population Report - 2011A Digital Home for Syangja & Syangjali
{{coord, 28, 05, 49, N, 83, 49, 19, E, region:NP-GA_type:adm2nd_source:kolossus-dewiki, display=title Districts of Nepal established in 1962 Districts of Gandaki Province